Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 's visit to the White House comes at a critical juncture, with US President Donald Trump preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. The two leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine , an issue that has reignited concerns in Europe about a possible shift in US stance towards Moscow.

19:39

Putin-Trump tunnel proposal to connect Russia and the US

Kirill Dmitriev proposed the creation of a railway tunnel under the Bering Strait connecting Russia's Chukotka with Alaska - a project that, he said, could be built in less than eight years and would symbolize unity between the two countries.

According to Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for investment issues, the plan envisages an $8 billion project, financed by Moscow and international partners. The 112-kilometer tunnel will be used to transport goods and will connect the two continents for the first time in history.

The proposal came shortly after the Putin-Trump telephone conversation and the announcement of their upcoming meeting in Budapest, as part of the new effort to end the war in Ukraine.

19:37

Expectations from the meeting

After arriving in the US capital yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected at the White House shortly. He will be welcomed there by President Donald Trump, before the two leaders head inside for their bilateral meeting.

Although it has not yet been confirmed, it is possible that the two presidents will make joint statements to the press later in the day. Developments in Washington are expected to be critical and all eyes are on the Trump-Zelensky meeting.

19:35

The course of the Trump-Zelensky relationship

The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has taken an impressive path in 2025 - from February's explosive confrontation at the White House to today's meeting where the central issue is the possible supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine.

From rupture to dialogue

• In February, just weeks before their meeting in Washington, Trump called Zelensky an unelected dictator on Truth Social, noting that millions had died for no reason. Their meeting on February 28th turned into a public spat when Zelensky accused Putin of violating ceasefires, prompting an angry response from Trump, who responded that the Ukrainian was playing World War III. The meeting was cut short, the planned lunch was canceled, and Zelensky left the White House.

The first attempts at rapprochement

• In April, Trump publicly criticized the Ukrainian president for his refusal to accept a peace deal that would recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea, writing: The man with no cards to play must finally get it over with — GET IT DONE!. A few days later, the two met in Rome, on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, in a meeting that the White House described as productive. There, Trump, though more subdued, lashed out at Putin for his reluctance to end the war.

New tension and arms freeze

• In late May, Trump called Putin a complete lunatic, but also criticized Zelensky, saying that everything that comes out of his mouth causes problems. On July 1, the Pentagon temporarily froze some arms shipments to Ukraine, before reinstating them a week later after Trump himself intervened, saying that America wanted to help Ukraine repel Russian attacks.

The spectacular climate change

• On July 14, Trump announced a $10 billion arms sale to NATO, with supplies also going to Ukraine. A month later, on August 18, Zelensky returned to Washington with European leaders, shortly after the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. This time, the meeting at the White House went smoothly and in a friendlier atmosphere, without tensions or sharp edges.

The new phase

• On October 16, Zelenskyy landed back in Washington for a series of meetings with Trump, members of Congress, and representatives of the American energy industry. Today's meeting at the White House is expected to determine whether the relationship between the two leaders can be transformed into a real partnership for peace and security in Ukraine.

19:28

German Foreign Minister: Ukraine must be involved in every decision of Trump-Putin talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Vandevoll said that planned talks in Budapest between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are a second attempt to pressure Putin to negotiate seriously, but stressed that Ukraine must be involved in any decision made.

Vandeful made these statements during his visit to Ankara, where he met with his Turkish counterpart.

Ukraine has not been invited to the Budapest talks, while President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with Trump later in the day at the White House.

19:26

What are Tomahawk missiles and why do they bring developments to the Ukrainian

The discussions about their procurement in Kiev are described as a barometer in the Trump-Putin-Zelensky triangle. What are their characteristics and what role could they play in the war?

19:22

The two previous Trump-Zelensky meetings at the White House

Zelensky returns to the White House for his new meeting with Donald Trump, in an effort to secure new commitments of American support in the war against Russia.

The meeting takes place in the wake of two very different contacts between the two presidents that had already taken place this year - the first, chaotic and charged; the second, clearly more subdued and diplomatic.

• The episodic first meeting

Their first meeting, in February, ended in an open confrontation in front of the cameras. Zelensky had traveled to Washington at the time with the expectation of signing a mineral deal, but everything went off the rails when Trump declared that he was not aligned with either Ukraine or Russia. The Ukrainian president responded with discomfort, wondering how there could be diplomacy when Putin was violating ceasefires.

Tensions reached a peak when US Vice President J. D. Vance accused Zelensky of disrespect for trying to sit in front of the American media. Zelensky retorted: You have a nice ocean, you don’t feel it now, but you will feel it in the future. Trump immediately responded: Don’t tell us how we’re going to feel… you’re not in a position to dictate it. You don’t have the cards right now… you’re playing with the lives of millions of people… you’re playing with World War III.

Vance then returned, chiding the Ukrainian president for, as he said, not thanking the US for its support. Amidst this tension, a pro-Trump reporter, Brian Glenn, ironically asked Zelensky why he was not wearing a suit, calling his attire disrespectful. The planned lunch between the two delegations was canceled and Zelensky left the White House.

• The second, more conciliatory meeting

When Zelensky returned in August, the picture was completely different. He appeared more formally dressed—a black shirt and jacket—and opened his remarks by thanking Trump eight times. “Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your attention, for your personal efforts to stop the killings and stop the war,” he said, adding thanks to Melania Trump, who had sent a letter to Putin about the kidnapped children of Ukraine.

"Thank you to your wife, thank you to all our partners - the UK, France, Germany - and everyone who supports Ukraine. Thank you for the invitation," he added.

The atmosphere was noticeably warmer. The same journalist who had criticized Zelensky's attire on the previous visit told him this time:"You look great in that suit." Trump smiled and commented: "I said the same thing."